KMA TO REGISTER PORTERS FOR HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME (PAGE 29)

Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

THE management of Subin Sub Metro Mutual Insurance scheme in Kumasi , is collaborating with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to urge porters to register with the scheme to enable them enjoy quality health care delivery when the need arises.
According to the Subin Sub Metro Insurance Scheme Manager, Ms Esther Odoom, “about 90 per cent of porters reside and work at Adum, the Central Market and Asafo Market, all of which fall within the Subin Sub Metro, but because they do not earn sufficient income, they are reluctant to pay the premium. They are also of the belief that they will not fall ill to need the insurance scheme”.
Ms Odoom told the Daily Graphic in an interview that encouraging potters to register was important “ because the females especially, are very vulnerable, and because they do not have permanent places of abode, they are exposed to all forms of problems, including sexual abuse, leading to unwanted pregnancies and its related problems, so getting them to join the scheme will help them source for quality health care when necessary”.
Explaining further, Ms Odoom said, the KMA had already registered most of the porters, so her office was arranging to meet them in groups and explain the policy to them to entice them to join in their numbers.
She noted that some of the porters who were nursing babies were pregnant as well, so the need for them to regularly visit the hospitals to keep them healthy was very important, “and getting them to join the scheme was the only way to reduce the money they may spend on quality health care delivery”.
She noted that those who would not be able to meet the minimum premium requirement would be registered free of charge.
She said apart from the porters, the Subin Sub Metro had also visited various homes within its catchment area to register people who were bedridden.
Explaining, Ms Odoom said under normal circumstances, it was the family members of such people who ought to have registered them.
“We are moving from house to house to register the bedridden, and so far, the response is positive.
This is because we have been able to register about 20 of them who are around 70 years or more ”, she stressed.
Ms Odoom said apart from the house to house registration exercise being carried out by the Subin Sub Metro Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, her outfit was also collaborating with its National Service persons “to move from office to office to register companies whose staff were yet to join the scheme”.
She explained that because of the pressure at work places, some workers who belonged to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and whose contributions had sustained the scheme, were yet to join. “ We therefore send our people to their offices to register them and their dependants as well, and so far, we are getting favourable responses” she noted, adding that “ we also arrange to meet some of them on Saturdays to take pictures of their spouses and dependants, and so far, we are making progress”.
Ms Odoom pointed out that the Subin Sub Metro Mutual Health Insurance Scheme would continue to devise means that would make it possible for a great number of residents within its catchment area to join the scheme.
This, she said, would enhance the primary health care delivery, thereby increasing productivity and enhancing national development.